Overkill: Ironbound

Every decade or so Overkill return to their NYC thrash roots, and there is much rejoicing. Most of their peers didn’t last even a quarter of the time Overkill have been without a break and no one seriously believes copycats like Municipal Waste will still be playing shows in 30 years, even they find liver donors. But there will be Overkill, nuclear holocaust or no, different guitarists to be sure, but still metal as a very metal thing.

The 10 frantic tracks on Ironbound provide uncompromising thrash, inventive melodies, and lyrics that deal with vital subjects like crushing bones, electric hammers, harvesting souls, and even fornicating with the sky.

The record opens with its longest and most dynamic track “Green And Black,” which takes a page from the Master Of Puppets playbook with its lengthy melodic intro. The band then takes it into stock Overkill thrash with some face-melting guitar leads. This varying form recurs on many of the songs making them distinguishable from one another.

The grand finale begins a track early with the presumably autobiographical and sinister “Killing For A Living” which pillages its way to “The SRC,” a metalhead’s metal song to be sure, and fitting conclusion to Ironbound.

This latest effort shows that Overkill, unlike many of their original thrash brethren or the up-and-coming imitators, can make new music without becoming a parody of themselves. Perhaps that comes from having never taking more than a few years time off the road and constantly releasing new music. Whatever the case may be, Overkill fans, get ready to party like it’s 1989.